January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

This book had the book bloggers all abuzz when I added it to my TBR list in October 2008. I didn't read it then because at that time I was attempting to review all books that I read, and I didn't want to join the throngs of bloggers who were already writing about this title. So I waited. I didn't mean to wait two years, but lots of other books got in the way!

The authors managed to capture the 1940s style in their writing, which I enjoyed. The letters and telegrams had a light, conversational tone for the most part. The accounts of abuses that the island residents suffered during the war were detailed enough to make me sad without grossing me out. I'm not a scholar of WWII history, but I got the sense that the authors really did their research on the period. The ending was a bit of a letdown; from other reviews, I'd gotten the impression that there was a surprise twist so I kept waiting for it. Other than that, the book was a satisfying diversion.

I usually like to mention who I would recommend a book to, but with this one I have no idea. My kids would probably find it dull, and the romance element wasn't developed enough to satisfy a true fan of that genre. Perhaps a fan of the gentle books of Louisa May Alcott might like this.